Bettina (horse)

Bettina (1918 – 1929) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. She showed promise as a juvenile when she won the Prince of Wales Plate at York and finished third in the Cheveley Park Stakes. In the following spring she recorded her biggest victory when she won the 1000 Guineas at odds of 33/1. She was retired to breeding duty soon afterwards but made no impact as a broodmare.

Bettina
Bettina in 1921 with her owner Walter Raphael (insert).
SireSwynford
GrandsireJohn o'Gaunt
DamBobbina
DamsireDesmond
SexMare
Foaled1918[1]
CountryUnited Kingdom
ColourBay
BreederWalter Raphael
OwnerWalter Raphael
TrainerPercy Linton
Record8: 2-0-1
Major wins
1000 Guineas (1921)

Background

Bettina was a bay mare bred and owned by the London financier Walter Raphael. She was trained throughout her racing career by Percy Linton.[2]

Her sire Swynford was an outstanding racehorse who won the St Leger in 1910 and the Eclipse Stakes in the following year. He was even better as a breeding stallion with his other offspring including Blandford, Saucy Sue, Challenger, Tranquil and Sansovino. Her dam Bobbina was a great-granddaughter of Footlight, who is regarded as the foundation mare of Thoroughbred family 1-m.[3]

Racing career

1920: two-year-old season

Bettina raced five times as a two-year-old in 1920. She finished unplaced behind the colt Alan Breck in the July Stakes[4] before recording her only success of the season when she won the Prince of Wales Plate over five furlongs at York Racecourse on 24 August, beating the colt Scorpius by a length.[5][6] On her final start of the year Bettina contested the Cheveley Park Stakes over six furlongs at Newmarket Racecourse and finished third behind Romana and Queen Wasp.

1921: three-year-old season

Bettina has beaten on her three-year-old debut[7] and then started a 33/1 outsider in a 24-runner field for the 108th running of the 1000 Guineas over the Rowley Mile on 29 April. Owing to a strike by coal miners, the race was run on the same day as the 2000 Guineas, leading to serious traffic problems in the Newmarket area.[8] Ridden by George Bellhouse, she upset the odds as she won "easily"[9] by one and a half lengths from Petrea with Pompadour three quarters of a length back in third place.[10] Her victory earned her owner £8,200.[11]

On 3 June, the filly was stepped up in distance for the Epsom Oaks over one and a half miles. She started the 6/1 second choice in the betting but came home unplaced behind Love in Idleness.[12] Bettina ran unplaced in a race at Royal Ascot later that month and was retired from the track soon afterwards.[13]

Assessment and honours

In their book, A Century of Champions, based on the Timeform rating system, John Randall and Tony Morris rated Bettina an "inferior" winner of the 1000 Guineas.[10]

Breeding record

Bettina was retired from racing to become a broodmare.[2] She made no impact as a broodmare as most of her offspring died young. Bettina died in 1929.[14]

  • Colt by Rock Flint (1923)- died young
  • Giovanni (1924), chestnut colt by Pommern. He competed in steeplechase races before he was bought by the British Bloodstock Agency and sent to India in 1927.[15]
  • Brenda (1925), bay filly by Sky-rocket
  • Alexis (1926), gray colt by Allenby or Poltava- died in 1928[16]

Pedigree
Pedigree of Bettina (GB), bay mare, 1918[1]
Sire
Swynford (GB)
1907		 John O’Gaunt (GB)
1901		 Isinglass Isonomy
Dead Lock
La Fleche St Simon
Quiver
Canterbury Pilgrim (GB)
1893		 Tristan Hermit
Thrift
Pilgrimage The Palmer
Lady Audley
Dam
Bobbina (GB)
1911		 Desmond (GB)
1896		 St Simon Galopin
St Angela
L'Abbesse de Jouarre Trappist
Festive
Bobbin (GB)
1905		 Orme Ormonde
Angelica
Silver Thread Ayrshire
Footlight (Family 1-m)[3]
  • Bettina was inbred 3 × 4 to St Simon, meaning that he appears in both the third and fourth generations of her pedigree.

References
  1. "Bettina pedigree". Equineline.
  2. Mortimer, Roger; Onslow, Richard; Willett, Peter (1978). Biographical Encyclopedia of British Flat Racing. Macdonald and Jane’s. ISBN 0-354-08536-0.
  3. "Footlight - Family 1-m". Thoroughbred Bloodlines. Retrieved 2014-06-02.
  4. "Sport and Pastime". The Referee. 11 May 1921. p. 7 – via trove.nla.gov.au.
  5. "General Gossip". Western Mail (Western Australia). 22 September 1921. p. 32 – via trove.nla.gov.au.
  6. "Racing World". Auckland Star. 30 April 1921. p. 12 – via Papers Past.
  7. "The Turf in England". Hobart Mercury. 18 June 1921. p. 11 – via trove.nla.gov.au.
  8. "Sport and Pastime". The Daily Telegraph (Launceston). 6 May 1921. p. 7 – via trove.nla.gov.au.
  9. "English Racing". Evening Post (New Zealand). 2 May 1921. p. 2 – via Papers Past.
  10. Morris, Tony; Randall, John (1999). A Century of Champions. Portway Press. ISBN 1-901570-15-0.
  11. "Sporting". The Press. 18 November 1921. p. 10 – via Papers Past.
  12. "Big Races in England". The Referee. 20 July 1921. p. 1 – via trove.nla.gov.au.
  13. "The Turf in England". Hobart Mercury. 6 January 1922. p. 8 – via trove.nla.gov.au.
  14. Wetherby (1933). "Bettina". The General Stud Book. 27: 90.
  15. Staff (9 December 1927). "Newmarket Sales". Northern Whig.
  16. Wetherby (1929). "Bettina". The General Stud Book. 26: 92.
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